Spotlight



E. D. CROMP.

SPOTLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1. 1920.

' 1,372,066, Patented Mar. 22, 1921.

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E. n, CROMP.

SPOTLIGHT. nraucmon men JUNE 1, 1920.

Patented M211- 22, 1921.

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5 I 1 I 7 I UNITEE STATES rArEN'r OFFICE.

EDWARD D. CROIVEP, OF CHARLEVOIX, MICHIGAN.

SPOTLIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented lIZtl'. 22, 1921- Application filed. June *7, 1920. Serial No. 387,102.

7 '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD DpCnoMP, citizen of the United States, residing at Charlevoix, in-the county of Antrim and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Spotlights,

of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inthe con-,

struction of spot lights such as are commonly mounted upon the wind shields or other parts of motor vehicles for the pur-' pose of projecting a beam of light in any desired direction, the object of the invention being to provide a device of this character which embodies novel means for adjusting the position of the spot light.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of this character which can be readily mounted in position upon a ve-- hicle, which can be easily and quickly adjusted from the interior of the vehicle, and

in which all of the operating parts are compactly arranged and completelyhoused within a casing so as to be protected from injury.

With these and other objects in view the with the invention, portions being broken away and shown in section to illustrate more clearly the details of construction. 7 a

Fig. 2 r is a horizontal sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. i

Fig. 3 is asectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. 4

Fig. 4: is a sectional View on the line 44 of Fig; 1, looking in the directionof the arrows. V Fi 5 1s a sectional vlew on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. a

Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line 6--6 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. i

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of the toggle mechanism for shifting the gears.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8 8 of Fig. 1, showing-the gear shifting arrangement.

Corresponding andlike parts are referred to int-he following description and indicated in all of the views of the drawings by like reference characters.

' Referring to the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 designates a substantially cylindrical shell which is rotatably mounted upon the side A of a vehicle or other support, said shell beingarranged to turn about its longitudinal axis, and carrying a lamp 2 which projects laterally from the shell and is in turnmounted to be rotated about an axis at right angles to the axis of the shell. Provision is thus made for the universal adjustment" of the lamp which is necessary in orderthat the lamp may be utilized to proj ect a beam oflight in any direction to illuminate any desired object. The outer end of the cylindrical shell 1 is closed and the inner end thereof is rotatably fitted upon a circular plate'3 which is rigidly secured to the vehicle in some suitable manner as by means of the screws 4. In order to retain the shell 1 in aproper engagement with the plate an angle iron collar 5 is shown as screwed upon the end of the shell, one of the flanges of the collar being loosely received within a rabbetted edge portion 6 of the plate 3. .The shell 1 is thus held against longitudinal and lateral displace ment although it 1s free to be rotated about its longitudinal axis.

The lampfQ may be of any conventional construction and is formed with a tubular standard 7 which projects laterally from the shell 1 and is journaled within a bearing 8 provided upon the shell. The innerend of i the-tubular standard is rigidly engaged by a short tubular shaft 9 which is arranged at right angles to'the axis of the shell 1 and has the inner end thereof journaled in a bearing block 10 which is rigid with the shell.

Rigid with the tubular shaft 9 is a bevel gear 11 which matches with a bevel gear 12, the latter being loosely mounted upon a tubular shaft 13 which is arranged at the axis of the shell 1. One end of the tubular shaft 13 is rigidly secured to the bearing block 10, while the other end thereof extends loosely through the supporting plate 3 and side A of the vehicle, being capped by a flanged nut 14 and a jam nut 15. The electric wires 16 for the lamp extend through the tubular shafts 13 and 9 and also the hollow bearing block 10, as indicated very clearly by Fig. 1.

A flanged gear wheel 17 is loosely mounted upon the tubular shaft 13' and is arranged between the bevel gear 12 and a disk 18 which is keyed upon the tubular shaft 13 and which is held in engagement with a friction lining 19 on the supporting plate 3. The supporting plate 3 may be recessed to receive the friction lining 19 and the disk 18, as indicated by Figs. 1 and 5, and the friction lining is shown as having the periphery thereof notched to receive lugs 20 projecting into the recessed portion of the supporting plate (see Fig. 6). The nuts 14 and 15 normally hold the disk 18 in engagement with the friction lining or face 19 so that the shaft 13 and shell 1 are held against accidental rotation.

The flanged gear wheel 17 is slidable lon gitudinally upon the tubular shaft 13, and the sides of the said gear wheel are provided with clutch teeth 21 which are adapted to interlock with complemental clutch teeth on-the bevelgear 12 and disk 18. Meshing with the flanged gear wheel 17 is a pinion 22 on a shaft 23 which is parallel to the tubular shaft 13 and extends through the supporting plate 3 and vehicle side A. This shaft 23 is slidable longitudinally within its bearings and the pinion 22 engages the fianges of the gear wheel '17 to shift the same longitudinally upon the tubular shaft and bring it into an interlocking engagement with either the bevel gear 12 or the disk 18. A coil spring 24 is interposed between the pinion 22 and the supporting plate 3 and normally tends to slide the shaft 23 inwardly, thereby holding the flanged gear wheel 17 in a clutch engagement with the bevel gear 12 under normal conditions. The opposite end of the shaft 23 projects into a housing 25 which is applied to the inner face of the vehicle side A. This end ofthe shaft 23 has a feather and spline connection with a worm gear 26 which meshes with a worm 27 on a shaft 28 which is arranged transversely within the housing 25, being journaled within a bearing 29 therein. This shaft 28 is connected by the bevel gearing 30 to a shaft 31 which extends through the front of the housing 25 and has a crank handle 32 applied thereto. The worm gear 26 is held in position by a bracket 33 arranged on an end of the worm shaft 28, and toggle links 34 are provided for sliding the shaft 23 against the action of the spring 24. As indicated more clearly by Figs. 7 and 8 these toggle links 34 are connected to plates 35 having openings therein which loosely receive the shaft 23, one of the plates being arranged to bear against the side A of the vehicle, while the other plate bears against a collar 36 on the shaft. The toggle links are operated by a caused to slide the shaft 23 against the ac- 1 tion of the coil spring 24, thereby shifting the flanged gear wheel 17 into a clutch engagement with the disk 18. Rotation of the flanged gear wheel will then rotate the disk 18 and tubular shaft 13, as well as the shell 1 which is rigid with the said elements. lVhen the cam 38 is moved in the opposite direction the toggle links will be released and the spring 24 will slide the shaft 23 inwardly and cause the flanged gear wheel 17 to be brought into a clutch engagement with the bevel gear 12. Rotation of the flanged gear wheel will. then operate through the bevel gears 11 and 12 to rotate the tubular lamp standard 7 and lamp 2.

Vith the construction which has just been described it will be obvious that when the crank handle 32 is rotated, motion is imparted through the shafts and gearing to the drive shaft 23 and pinion 22 thereon. This pinion is always in mesh with the flanged gear wheel 17 and the said flanged gear wheel can be interlocked with either the bevel gear 12 or the disk 18. lVhen the flanged gear wheel 17 is in a clutch engagement with the disk 18, any rotation of the operating shaft 23 will result in a bodily rotation of the shell 1 and lamp 2 about the longitudinal aXis of the shell. On the other hand, when the flanged gear wheel 17 is in a clutch engagement with the bevel gear 12. any rotation of the drive shaft 23 will re suit in turning the lamp 2 about the axis of the standard 7. The axis of the standard 7 is at substantially right angles to the axis of the shell 1, and it will be obvious that these two motions provide for a universal adjustment of the lamp so that it can be caused to project-a beam of light in any desired direction. i A switch for controlling the electric circuit of the lamp 2 is shown as mounted upon the housing 25. A plunger 39 is slidable within a tubular bushing 40 of insulating material and is provided at its inner end with a foot 41 which is adapted to engage the flanged nut 14 whenthe plunger is moved inwardly. A button 42 is rigidly applied to the plunger 39 and engages the beveled nose of a spring strip 43 to lock the plunger in either an in or out position. The spring strip 43 is insulated from the housing, and one of the electric wires 16 is shown as severed and as having one of the severed ends connected at 44 to the housing, while-the other severed end is connected at 4:5 to the spring strip 43. There is an electrical connection between the housing and the flangednut 14 through the parts of the mechanism and it will be obvious that when the plunger 39 is movedinwardly to bring the foot41 thereof into engagement with the flanged nut l l'the electric circuit of the lamp will be closed, while when the plunger is pulled outwardlythe electric circuit will be opened.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A spot light including a rotatably mounted shell, a lamp carried by the shell and rotatable about an axis at an angle to the axis of the shell, a shiftable gear element within the shell, means actuated by the shiftable gear element when in one position for rotating the shell, means actuated by the shiftable gear element when in another position for rotating the lamp, and an operating shaft having a driving connection with the shiftable gear element.

2. A spot light including a rotatably mounted shell, a lamp carried by the shell and rotatable about an axis at an angle to theaxis of the shell, a shaft at the axis of the shell, a shiftable gear slidable on the shaft and loose thereon, means for locking the gear to the shaft at one position thereof, a second gear loose on the shaft and adapted to be interlocked with the shifting gear at another position thereof, said second gear having an operative connection with the lamp to rotate the same, an operating shaft geared to the shiftable gear, and means for rotating the same.

3. A spot light including a rotatably mounted shell, a lamp carried by the shell and rotatable about an axis at an angle to the axis of the shell, a shaft arranged at the axis of the shell and rigid therewith, a shiftable gear slidable on the shaft and also loose thereon, a disk rigid with the shaft, a second gear loose on shaft and having an operative connection with the lamp, means for producing a clutch connection between the shiftable gear and either the disk or the loose gear, a slida-bly mounted operating shaft geared to the shiftable gear, and means for sliding the operating shaft, the said sliding movements of the operating shaft controlling the shiftable gear.

4;. A spot light including a rotatably mounted shell, a lamp carried by the shell and rotatable about an axis at an angle to the axis of the shell, a shaft arranged at the axis of the shell and rigid, therewith, a shiftable flanged gear slidable on the shaft and also rotatable thereon, a second gear loose upon the shaft and having an operative connection. with the lamp, :1 disk rigid with the shaft, a slidably mounted operating shaft, a pinion upon the operating shaft which meshes with the shiftable gear and cooperates with the flanges thereof to move the shiftable gear into engagement with either the loosegear' or the disk, and means for controlling the sliding movements of the operatin shaft. v

5. A spotlight including a rotatably mounted shell having'a bearing block therein, a lamp projecting laterally from the shell and rotatable about an axis at an angle to the axis of the shell,,a shaft arranged at the axis of the shell and rigid therewith, a second shaft arranged at the axis of the lamp, said second shaft being rigid with the lamp and journaled in the bearing block, a shiftable gear slidable upon the first mentioned shaft and also rotatable thereon, a second gear loose upon the first mentioned shaft and having a driving connection with the shaft at the axis of thelamp, a disk rigid with the first mentioned shaft, an operating shaft having a driving connection with the shiftable gear, and means for sliding the shiftable gear into engagement with either the loose gea or the disk.

6. A spot light including a rotatably mounted shell, a lamp carried by the shell and rotatable about an axis at an angle to the axis of the shell, shiftable gearing with in the shell for rotating either the shell or the lamp, a slidably mounted operating shaft having a driving connection with the shiftable gearing, and means actuated by the sliding of the operating shaft to shift the gearing.

7. A spot light including a supporting element, a shell rotatably mounted thereon, a lamp carried by the shell and rotatable about an axis at an angle to the axis of the shell, a friction disk rigid with the shell and preventing accidental rotation of the shell, a shiftable gear adapted to be interlocked with the friction disk at one of its positions to positively rotate the shell, means actuated by the shiftable gear at another of its positions to rotate the lamp, and means for driving the shiftable gear.

8. A spot light including a rotatably mounted shell, a lamp carried by the shell and rotatable about an axis at an angle to the axis of the shell, a supporting plate upon which the shell is mounted, a shaft arranged at the axis of the shell and rigid therewith, a disk rigid with the shaft, friction means carried by the supporting plate for cooperation with the disk to hold the shell against accidental rotation, a shiftable gear slidable and rotatable upon the shaft, means for locking the shiftable gear'with the disk at one position of the gear to rotate the shell, means actuated by the shiftable gear at another position thereof to rotate the lamp, and means for driving the shiftable gear.

9. A spot light including a rotatably mounted shell, a lamp carried by the shell and rotatable about an axisat an angle to the axis of the shell, friction means for preventing aooidental' rotation of the shell, a shiftable gear element Within the shell, means actuated by the shiftable gear element at one position thereof to overcome the fric tion means and rotate the shell, and means actuated by the shiftable gear element at another position thereof to rotate the lamp.

10. A spot light including a supporting plate, a rotatable shell. mounted thereon, a lamp carried by the shell and rotatable about an axis at an angle to the axis of the shell, a shaft arranged at the axis of the shell and I rigid therewith, said shaft being journaled in the supporting late, a flanged gear slidable upon the shaft, a slidably mounted operating shaft extending through the supporting plate, a pinion applied to the operating shaft and meshing with the shiftable gear, said pinion cooperating with the flanges of the shiftable gear to slide the same, means actuated by the shiftable gear at one position thereof to rotate the shell, means actuated by the shiftable gear at another position thereof to rotate the lamp, and means for controlling the operating shaft.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EDWARD D. CROMP. 

